Schlössle Ratzenhofen

Schlössle Ratzenhofen stands in the centre of Sigmaringendorf, a small town in Baden-Württemberg. It is a three-storey hohenzollerisch castle with a steep hipped roof and two corner turrets. The Lauchert river flows past the western side of the building, and a former millrace branches off nearby. The castle sits beside the local school and church, close to the bridge over the river. The building first appears in records in 1542, though it may be much older. In 1589 it passed to the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, whose counts once minted coins here. After damage in the Thirty Years War it was rebuilt and used for many purposes, including schoolrooms until 2008. A thorough restoration in 2008 repaired the roof, walls and windows, and added modern insulation while keeping the Renaissance-style façade. Today the restored castle houses a music club and other local groups. Inside, former classrooms remain, and the attic once stored costumes for the Waldbühne theatre. Outside, the riverbank and school grounds frame the building, and the old millrace still runs nearby.